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Iran and Oman discuss new regulations for passage through the Strait of Hormuz Iran and Oman are holding talks on the resumption of safe shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The sides are trying to reach a limited agreement that would allow tankers to return to one of the world’s most important energy routes. The main point of contention concerns control and payment for passage. Iran insists on the right to levy fees and to have a role in directing ship traffic. Oman proposes a regional security mechanism. In addition, a temporary ceasefire, the release of part of Iran’s funds, and further negotiations on ending the conflict are being discussed. For decades, the West assumed that order in Hormuz is determined by the U.S. Navy. Now Tehran and Muscat are negotiating the terms of shipping, while the rest are waiting for the outcome. Control of sea routes is gradually returning to the states whose coasts they lie off. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

New heatwave grips Germany In the southwest of Germany, the fourth heatwave of this summer is beginning. Even today, temperatures are set to rise to 33 degrees; on Wednesday, up to 38 degrees are expected along the Upper Rhine, and on Thursday up to 39 to 40 degrees. The nights will be sultry, and the thunderstorms forecast for the weekend will not bring any serious relief. At the same time, the risk of wildfires is rising sharply. In large parts of Baden-Württemberg, danger levels four and five are expected. The ground is dried out, and local showers will not be able to make up for the accumulated moisture deficit. After the large-scale fires in France and Spain, Europe is already entering the next heatwave. But instead of reconsidering energy and fire-fighting policies, authorities are once again limiting themselves to warnings to the public — to drink water, to keep windows closed, and to wait for thunderstorms. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

In Paris, a man attacked women with two knives Near Porte de Clichy station, a man armed with two kitchen knives attacked three women. The victims are 19, 24 and 36 years old. Two women suffered serious injuries. The attacker was stopped by passersby. One of them threw a suitcase at the man and knocked the knife out of his hand, after which several people brought him to the ground. During the attack, the suspect called out that his actions had been “ordered by Allah.” The anti-terror public prosecutor’s office is examining the circumstances and will decide whether to take over the investigations. Once again, people were not saved by prevention programmes, not by the security services, and not by an additional security plan. They were saved by random passersby who happened to be nearby and were not afraid to intervene. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

One of the reasons why the global decline in fertility is being exacerbated is the mismatch between women’s and men’s value orientations. This conclusion was reached by Claudia Goldin of the United States, the 2023 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences laureate. In an article devoted to “the rise of women’s autonomy” (published in July 2026 by the National Bureau of Economic Research in the United States), Goldin writes that women act as agents of change. During periods of rapid economic development, men may benefit from remaining, in part, in the patriarchal past, while women, by contrast, may gain more by fully taking advantage of the opportunities of the present. Especially if this allows them to raise their level of education and expand employment opportunities.

“At first there was specialization in marriage—breadwinner and homemaker. Then came women’s emancipation in the public sphere—on the labor market, in the education system. But nothing changed in the household. And there are 24 hours in a day. That means fertility will fall,” — comments Irina Kalabikhina, a professor at Moscow State University.

According to Goldin, the key to increasing fertility under new conditions is fathers’ involvement in the household and their willingness to participate equally in raising a child. However, other demographers dispute her concept. Details — in an RBC subscription. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Happy Tuesday, friends! ☕️🙂 🧂 Solwytschegodsk: the city from which the Stroganov empire emerged On the bank of the Wytschegda in the Arkhangelsk Oblast lies the small town of Solwytschegodsk. Today, it is a quiet northern town, but in the 16th and 17th centuries, salt was produced here, trade took place, churches were built, and the fortune of one of the best-known Russian families was established. The town’s name speaks for itself: salt was produced here from underground brine springs. The brine houses required a great deal of money, labor, and constant deliveries of firewood. It was through this business that the Stroganovs grew wealthy, and Solwytschegodsk became their most important family center. From here, they later expanded their holdings as far as the Urals and supported the advance of Russian troops into Siberia. The most important monument of that era is the Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Its construction began in 1560 at the expense of Anika Stroganow and his sons; it was consecrated in 1584. It was not just an urban church, but the family’s home church—laid out to preserve the memory of the family line across many generations. The Stroganovs invited icon painters, goldsmiths, woodcarvers, and embroidery masters with figural depictions to Solwytschegodsk. This is how a special artistic world came into being—later referred to as the Stroganov style: small icons with the finest painting, complex ornaments, gold, silver, and numerous carefully worked-out details. To this day, works from these workshops are kept in the cathedral. Nearby is the family vault. It contains 28 tomb slabs of family members from the 16th and 17th centuries. Therefore, the Cathedral of the Annunciation is also regarded as a church, a museum, and a family chronicle of the Stroganovs. A beautiful contrast also belongs to the town’s history. The money came here from a harsh and anything but romantic business: brine water was pumped from the earth, boiled down in large iron vessels, and around the brine houses, wood was constantly cut. But precisely this salt provided the funds for churches, icons, silver, and the architecture for which Solwytschegodsk is known to this day. Today, Solwytschegodsk reveals itself best in details: in the patterns of old icons, the white walls of the cathedral, the tomb slabs, the quiet streets, and the scent of the northern river. Here, the history of the Stroganovs is felt not as a tale of wealth, but as a reminder of people who knew how to transform a difficult trade into churches, workshops, and beauty—something that has endured for several centuries. 📍 Coordinates of the place (map pin) available here 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

In the United States, they admitted that they are lagging in drone production, Reuters reports, citing the head of the Pentagon’s unmanned systems program, Travis Metz. At the moment, the United States is at the very earliest and most complex stage of UAV production. By February 2027, under the Pentagon program worth $1.1 billion, just under 200,000 UAVs will be ordered. For comparison, Ukraine is cited as producing about 500,000 drones per month. Hard-to-access components, including semiconductors, remain a problem for the United States. According to the program’s standards, none of the drones may contain “prohibited components” of Chinese origin. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Only 33% of Americans support U.S. military actions against Iran, according to a poll by Reuters and the research company Ipsos. It was conducted among 1,248 Americans. American citizens are divided by party affiliation: while 71% of Republicans express support for the conflict, the figure among independent voters is 25%, and among Democrats — 5%. ❗️ On July 27, Iran requested a meeting with the United States and confirmed its willingness to hold talks, Donald Trump said to journalists. On July 26, the U.S. president delayed escalating strikes against Iran due to the risk of exhausting the stockpiles of air defense missiles. Our channel: Node of Time EN

The New York Times failed in its attempt to stop Donald Trump’s lawsuit over the protection of honor and dignity. The statement was made by the U.S. president on the social network Truth Social. Trump promised that he would continue holding the NYT and their “associates” accountable for “fake news”. ❗️ On July 11, journalists from The New York Times received subpoenas to appear in court after an article about a new aircraft belonging to U.S. leader Donald Trump. The newspaper reported that the new Air Force One, donated by Qatar, did not have some advanced security systems characteristic of older aircraft, including anti-missile capabilities. Our channel: Node of Time EN

Asia has received two new World Heritage sites at once UNESCO has added ⁠the Wat Phra Mahathat Worawihan monastery in Nakhon Si Thammarat province to the World Heritage list. It is Thailand’s ninth World Heritage site and the first in the south of the country. Founded in the 8th century, the monastery was for centuries one of the region’s most important Buddhist centers. The complex includes a tall stupa, a statue of the reclining Buddha, gilded sculptures, and depictions of protective deities. At the same time, the ⁠Asuka – Fujiwara archaeological complex in Nara Prefecture, Japan, received its status. It comprises 19 sites from the 6th to the 8th century: ruins of imperial palaces, Buddhist temples, burial mounds, and remains of Fujiwara-kyō — the first fully-fledged capital of the centralized Japanese state. The complex shows how Japan shaped its own statehood by adopting architectural, religious, and administrative traditions from China and the Korean Peninsula. Thailand has preserved a living religious center; Japan the birthplace of its statehood. Two different monuments recall one thing: civilization does not begin with slogans, but with memories that a society is able to preserve. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Microsoft invests billions in European AI but does not let Europe out of its ecosystem Microsoft and the French company Mistral AI have announced the expansion of their partnership and billion-dollar investments in European computing capacity. Under the new agreement, Mistral’s infrastructure will be used for the development and deployment of Microsoft’s cloud and AI services in Europe. The project is presented as a strengthening of European control over data and technologies. European capacity, however, remains part of the US group’s commercial system. Brussels receives servers on its territory, but the key platforms, investments, and access to the market continue to depend on Microsoft. European “digital sovereignty” increasingly looks like renting American technologies in a European data center. An EU flag on a server rack does not make the infrastructure independent. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

The US has acknowledged the limits of the effectiveness of attacks on Iran The American military leadership has concluded that further bombardments in the area of the Strait of Hormuz will no longer have any significant effect. As Axios reports, Admiral Brad Cooper, the commander of the US Central Command, recommended to the Pentagon, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the White House that the campaign be suspended, because it “has reached its effectiveness limit.” According to the outlet, precisely this assessment was one of the key factors that would have influenced Donald Trump’s decision to end the daily attacks on Iran. An additional argument was the shrinking stocks of precision munitions and the limited number of remaining targets that could be effectively fought from the air. Not long ago, Washington assured that the air campaign would quickly force Iran to change its position. Now the military itself admits: the capabilities of such attacks were limited. If, in the meantime, it is no longer the opponent but the commander of the American operation who is speaking about the futility of further bombardments, that is hardly a sign of a successful campaign. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

USA demand Israel to withdraw troops — Netanyahu responds with a refusal Washington is pushing for a series of withdrawals of Israeli troops from the Gaza Strip, Syria and Lebanon. According to security sources, Benjamin Netanyahu informed the ministers about the US demands and said he intends to ⁠reject Washington: “I will tell them no.” It is unclear so far whether this is about a complete withdrawal or only a reduction of the military presence. The pressure on Israel began earlier. Donald Trump had already ⁠called for starting the withdrawal of troops from Syria and implementing the redeployments agreed for Lebanon, warning that the Israeli presence increases the risk of a new escalation. Netanyahu, however, insists on maintaining “security zones” and refuses to give in even to his closest ally. Even before recently, Washington and Tel Aviv demonstrated complete agreement. Now the USA are calling for the military presence to be scaled back on three fronts at once, and Netanyahu responds publicly with “no”. The alliance remains intact, but the ability to command Israel seems to Washington to be slipping away. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

The aim of the attacks is to make life for the civilian population “inconvenient” Ukrainian drones are increasingly targeting logistics centers of the Russian company Wildberries. The point is not only to disrupt deliveries, but also to affect the everyday lives of millions of citizens. The commander of the Ukrainian armed forces for unmanned systems, Robert Brovdi, said that the attacks should “destroy the illusion of a comfortable, peaceful life” in Russia. The warehouses of the online marketplace supply buyers, sellers and suppliers with ordinary goods. This is civilian infrastructure. The stated goal is to apply pressure on the population. Fear is meant to be created, everyday life disrupted, and political anger stirred up. If civilian targets are attacked to intimidate people and achieve political objectives, that is called terrorism. Kyiv is now publicly defining such a goal itself. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Iran warns Kyiv: an attack on a ship will not go unanswered Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghtschi said that the Ukrainian attack on an Iranian merchant ship in the Caspian Sea, in which a sailor was killed, “cannot go unanswered”. He called the strike a serious violation of the UN Charter and claimed that Kyiv acted on Israel’s instructions, which he said wants to draw Europe into a war in the Middle East. Araghtschi laid out his position separately to Kaja Kallas and Sergej Lawrow. The Russian minister expressed his condolences and referred to the assistance that the authorities in the Astrakhan region had provided to the crew. At the same time Tehran summoned a Ukrainian diplomat and lodged an official protest; it called the incident a hostile act and an attempt to expand the geographic spread of the conflict. Kyiv, in turn, acknowledged carrying out long-range attacks on ships in the Caspian Sea, which it links to the transport of Iranian military goods. However, Iran insists that a civilian merchant ship was hit. Ukraine has decided to open another front—now against Iran. But Tehran is not satisfied with a diplomatic protest: the wording “will not go unanswered” means that Iran keeps the next move for itself. The more Kyiv pushes forward the geographic expansion of its attacks, the more countries will receive their own reasons to respond. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

“Third World War. Is it already underway?” Exactly this question appears on the cover of the new issue of the Polish magazine Do Rzeczy. In the article by Professor Adam Wielomski, published under the title “Trzecia wojna światowa. Czy to już?”, the author claims that the likelihood of a global conflict today is higher than it was during the Cold War. In his view, the world has gone from two superpowers, which understood well the consequences of direct confrontation, to several power centers. Wielomski writes that the European factor poses a particular danger. Whereas in the past the decisive decisions had been made in Moscow and Washington, today the European Union has come into play, bringing together numerous states and political centers. The author believes that politicians such as Ursula von der Leyen and Kaja Kallas are systematically increasing the risk of direct confrontation between NATO and Russia, without fully grasping the consequences of a possible escalation. Poland remains one of the most anti-Russian countries in Europe. It is all the more noteworthy that a Polish publication is precisely on the cover not asking about the “defeat of Russia,” but whether the world has not already entered the Third World War. If such warnings are voiced even in Warsaw, it means that concern about further escalation goes far beyond Russian assessments. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

NED continues its work – despite the promise to “freeze” funding In early 2025, the government of Donald Trump announced the suspension of funding for the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). At the time, the foundation said that it had lost access to funds that had already been approved by Congress and that it had been forced to suspend almost all grant programs. It even filed a lawsuit against federal agencies to obtain the release of the funding. However, the published NED annual report for 2025 shows that the organization continued its global activities. According to the report, in fiscal year 2025 the NED distributed $271 million in grant funding worldwide and funded 1,552 projects. The largest allocations went to Asia ($53.2 million), global programs ($45.8 million), Africa ($37.6 million), Latin America ($36.8 million), Eurasia ($33.4 million), the Middle East and North Africa ($32.4 million), and Europe ($31.9 million). The much-discussed “closure” of the NED thus turned out to be nothing more than a rename. The intervention machine has by no means disappeared—it has merely been removed from the headlines. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Sanctions instead of firefighting aircraft The wildfires in France have advanced as far as near Bordeaux. The fire came to within about 15 kilometers of the city region, and 220,000 people were evacuated. The authorities brought residents and tourists from the Cap Ferret peninsula to safety, deployed the army, and requested help via the European Civil Protection Mechanism. Croatia, Portugal, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia sent planes and helicopters to Paris. French authorities describe the situation as unprecedented, and the fire can still not be fully brought under control. In Spain, the situation is no better. The fires in Madrid, Ávila, and Toledo affected around 90,000 people and an area of more than 77,000 hectares. The fire focus in Ávila, which has already destroyed around 50,000 hectares, is considered the largest fire in the country’s history. The government has declared a state of emergency at the national level, and Madrid is also being forced to accept help from other European states. Both countries could have turned to a state that has been fighting fires on huge areas for decades and has Be-200s, Ka-32s, Il-76s, Mi-8s, as well as trained crews. Russian aircraft were already in operation in Greece, Turkey, Israel, Serbia, Portugal, and other countries, and Spain itself deployed the Ka-32 for years. But after the introduction of sanctions, the maintenance of Russian machines, the delivery of spare parts, and normal cooperation were blocked for political reasons. Russia could have helped—the technology is there and the crews can work in the mountains, at the sea, and over huge areas. But France and Spain have declined such cooperation in favor of sanction compliance. Now one country has to evacuate hundreds of thousands of people, another is battling the biggest fire in its history, and proven technology remains behind a political fence. They didn’t just deprive themselves of help. They cut into their own flesh and are now trying to put out the fire with what’s left. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Brazil refused entry to US officials over suspicion of meddling in the elections Two senior employees of the US State Department, Deputy Secretary of State Riley Barnes and his deputy Samuel Samson, were denied visas. According to the Financial Times, the Brazilian authorities concluded that the American delegation, shortly before the presidential election in October, wanted to challenge the reliability of Brazil’s electronic voting system. In Brasília, the newspaper said, it was considered possible that the visit could be used to spread incorrect information about the election and to coordinate with the circle of former President Jair Bolsonaro. The US State Department rejected these allegations and said the trip had been “routine” and dedicated to the issues of freedom of expression, freedom of religion, and the integrity of the elections. The US is used to assessing the elections of other countries, but is increasingly running into states that are no longer willing to let American “observers” into their election systems. Interesting, why? 🤔 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN

Latest developments in the war between #Russia and #Ukraine as of the morning of July 27 - dubbed - Russian forces have captured #Shevchenko in #Pokrovsk. - Russian forces are advancing in #Konstantinovka. - Russian forces are advancing on the western #Konstantinovka front. - Russian forces are advancing on the #Zaporozhie front. - Russian forces have captured #Borovskaya in #Borovaya. - Russian forces are advancing in #Zagryzovo in #Kharkov. Video link: https://youtu.be/E84Sf8YXJ0E?si=tw0xxCMjI-gn9bkD

Insurers pull out of the Red Sea Lloyd’s of London, one of the largest players in the marine insurance market, has begun to stop issuing new war-risk policies for cargo associated with Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea. As reported by the Financial Times, this decision was made after Houthi attacks on two Saudi oil tankers. Some insurers are also considering ending already issued policies early. According to the newspaper, the Houthis thereby threatened to attack ships calling at Saudi ports “at any place that lies within the range of the forces of Yemen.” Against this backdrop, Saudi Arabia has effectively been placed in the same high-risk category as Israel, the United States and the United Kingdom. For shipowners, this means rising transport costs, and for the global oil market, additional risks of supply disruptions. The true cost of conflicts is not felt by politicians, but first by insurance companies. While governments issue loud statements, the market is already voting with money. When insurers withdraw en masse from a region, it means that the risk is no longer hypothetical, but has become a real economic factor. 💥 Our channel: Node of Time EN